Cloudburst
by NothingButTheBeat
Summary: "A cloudburst? That's a term for a sudden and heavy rainfall. A veritable flood from above. A deluge from the heavens, unannounced and unforgiving. Why the sudden interest?" Rubbing his chafed wrists, he chuckled at the memory. "Some moron I knocked out had that tattooed on his back. Why not something cool, like Nyx in a bikini? I'm serious!"
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"I can hardly believe it. Twins, Poseidon, twins!" Sally rambled on from the window, a smile beaming from her face. Spinning around with the papers from the doctor falling through her fingers, a joy-filled laugh escaped her, seeming to brighten the whole apartment. "Would you believe that I've never sired a pair of twins?" Poseidon's gaze became misty as he looked out onto the bustling street outside. "I can hardly believe it, but at the same time I can hardly wait to hold them." His expression gradually became dark as thoughts raced across his mind. This was hardly the first time he had gotten a mortal with child, but under these circumstances…precautions would need to be taken. _'Twin demigods in one location? The scent would surely be overwhelming to any monster around. Not to mention should my brothers find out.'_

Sally was oblivious to his current train of thought however, and noticed his prolonged silence. Noting his darkened expression, she reached for his arm. "What worries you so? No other immortal knows of us, do they?" As optimistic as she had tried to be, Sally had heard stories of what happened to mistresses in Greek mythology. Poseidon snapped out of his concentration at the sudden contact, and clasped a hand over Sally's. "Our children will be protected, I promise, but I worry nonetheless about having two demigods of high caliber under the same roof. If I was to ward this place, someone would surely notice it, being this close to Olympus." He paused and stepped over to the door, outlines of a plan of action forming in his mind. "Still, we have 4 months to prepare. For now, the seas call, and I must answer." He embraced Sally from behind, wrapping his arms around her protruding midsection. "Be safe, Sally." With that, he faded into a sea breeze and was gone.

Miles away on the beaches of Montauk, Poseidon stood up to mid-calf in the surf. With a gentle crackle of flames behind him signaling the arrival of his elder sister, he turned back to shore. "It is good to see you, dear sister." Regardless of Zeus's disregard for his siblings, Poseidon had maintained relationships with some of his siblings, namely Hestia and Hades. Though as relations with his eldest brother were strained at the moment, he had no one to turn to outside of Hestia. "As good as it is to see you as well, brother, I assume this is not a social call," Hestia stated, eyes falling onto her brother, taking note of his worried expression. "You are correct as usual, Hestia." As the distance between them decreased, Hestia noted the dark bags under his eyes. _'His eyes show stress as well. This doesn't bode well at all.'_ Letting loose an exasperated breath, she quipped, "Surely you haven't been kicked out of Amphitrite's bed again, have you dear brother?" Her attempt at humor failed to elicit a reaction from the god, his expression darkening if anything.

"I'm in a bind, Hestia. I'm expecting a child." Hestia's smug expression dropped instantly. _'Please to Aether don't let it be…'_ was all she could think. "I'm sure Amphitrite will be happy to have another child." At that, his head dropped. "Amphitrite isn't the mother." Poseidon raised his head to look her in the eye, his face serious, "Her name is Sally, and she's going to have…twins." Hestia's expression was disappointment, as she shook her head. "Brother, again? Have you no restraint? It hasn't even been three score years since the oath was taken by you three." She sighed as he hung his head in shame. "Regardless of any mistakes on your part, what of the children? What are your plans? Surely you've realized that should they become common knowledge, Zeus and Hades will do all they can to kill them?"

At that statement, Poseidon raised his head slightly. "I mean to come clean with Hades. I broke the oath, and I will admit as much to him. He was wronged by Zeus when he blasted the mortal woman oh so many years ago, but I had no hand in it. I will apologize to him in person, and I plan to do it before the children are born." Shock ran through Hestia at this admission, not having expected such a statement. _'Has Zeus set such a bad precedent in the past for the hunting of newborns to be the natural reaction? Still, with the Great prophecy awaiting a half-blood of the big three, a hostile reaction was only natural from someone as paranoid as Zeus.'_ She paused, momentarily."I will accompany you to speak with Hades, if you wish, but Amphitrite will be your problem, you know." In response, Poseidon winced. "I will also inform her, it is only right she knows. I am more worried about Zeus though. He seems to be more paranoid than usual. My children would be dead before they even came into this world should he find out."

"I fear you are right in that regard. Nevertheless, time is of the essence. What is your plan for informing our elder brother?" Poseidon strode out of the surf with a determined expression on his face, a resolve taking root in his eyes. "I plan to inform Amphitrite before the moon wanes again, and once that is done, I will talk with Hades." Before he was finished talking, he had already begun to dissolve into mist. _'Hades will be furious after the incident with his most recent kids, but I WILL make sure my children will be subject to no wrath from him.'_ Looking to Hestia, he gave a parting smile, "Wish me luck, sister." As the mist drifted out to sea and vanished, Hestia too left the scene, thoughts racing through her head. "Luck indeed brother. Your children will need it."

Poseidon was slightly nervous as they descended into the underworld. As expected, Amphitrite had been irate when he told her of his children, furious even. Their marriage was one of politics, and she had also had her slip-ups along the way, but he knew that was no excuse for what had happened. "While considerably less than pleased, I cannot fault the children. I too have had demigod children. It is no secret." She made it quite clear they wouldn't be welcome in Atlantis for the foreseeable future, but had promised she had no ill-will for them. "They didn't have a choice, but you did, and I will have my satisfaction." Poseidon shivered at the thought of a verbal lashing he would not soon forget. Hestia saw the shiver, and laughed lightly, "I take it Amphitrite was irate? To be expected." She turned her gaze back to the looming palace they were approaching, taking note of the opened gates not a hundred feet away. "At least you accomplished your main objective," she stated, careful to avoid mentioning anything of the children before they had a secure audience with their brother. As they made their way to the throne room, she gazed upon the black stone masonry all around, interspaced with skeletal soldiers of all sorts. _'At least he let us teleport right outside the gates of his palace, it would have been a long walk through asphodel.'_ Upon reaching the doors of the throne room, the giant marble slabs swung open to reveal a great hall with two thrones at the far end, only one of which was occupied.

Their footsteps were loud upon the stone floor, and the atmosphere was tense as they approached. Poseidon took the initiative, "Brother." Hades' expression never changed, but he responded in kind. "Brother, Sister. I am quite curious as to the nature of what warranted a direct visit to my domain and could not be sent with a messenger." With a solemn expression, Hestia motioned to the room around them, "Perhaps we could move to a more secure room, brother. What Poseidon has to say is not for any ears besides yours." She eyed the furies perched on the back of his throne as she said it, not trusting the kindly ones at all. Hades eyed them both with a severe eye, but relented. "Very well, come with me." He stood gracefully, and strode to a door behind his throne. Poseidon and Hestia followed a few steps behind as they went deeper into the palace, until they reached what looked like a study with an ancient looking desk and chairs in front of it next to a large fireplace.

Taking a seat behind the desk, Hades pulled a bottle from within, filling up three glasses and replacing the stopper. "From your expressions, I won't like what you have to say, so you might as well drink." Poseidon's was quickly downed, with Hestia taking a small sip, and letting her glass rest on the arm of her chair. Casting a look at Poseidon, she lightly nodded. _'Now's as good a time as any, we can only hope at this point.'_ Poseidon visibly steeled himself and looked his elder brother dead in the eye. "Brother, I…I have broken our oath. I have sired a pair of demigods, which will be born two months' time from now. I came to inform you myself of this, but most importantly, to make sure they would be safe from your wrath for being born." As he trailed off, his grip on his trident tightened in accordance of the darkening of the room as the shadows grew in size and depth.

Hades stood slowly and walked to the fireplace, his gaze never leaving the fire blazing in the hearth. When he finally spoke, his voice was ice cold. "And pray tell, exactly why should I not send the depths of hell after them? Did my own children not suffer the same fate when Zeus learned of them? DID THEY NOT?!" Ichor dropped onto the rug covering the floor, landing on the crystal shards of the tumbler he had crushed in his hand. Yet still, his gaze never left the fire. Hestia and Poseidon both flinched at the exclamation, Hestia adopting a sad expression, while Poseidon rose to his feet. "Brother, I had no part in what Zeus did to them, I swear it on the Styx. I was still grieving the loss of my children from that horrible war. I had little time at all for hatred then. Your hate is just, but I was not responsible for it." Hades turned to retort, and locked eyes with Poseidon. He held his trident firmly, but his eyes held no anger. A steel gaze, yes, but not a harsh one. Hades' rage had calmed somewhat, but was still present. "I knew you had little if anything to do with it. It was Zeus through and through." His gaze at his brother softened marginally. "But that still does not excuse your breaking of the oath. We three made it together to avoid tragedies like that damnable war. It nearly tore apart Olympus. We CANNOT stand another war between us. It will surely be the end of us." Hades paused, looking down at his golden colored hand, before walking back to the desk and retrieving a flask of nectar.

"I have a proposal for you, brother." Poseidon and Hestia were both curious at the sudden change of pace, with Poseidon eagerly responding, "What sort of proposal are we talking of?" Hades took one last look at the mantle, a picture of two black eyed children and a beautiful Italian woman being the focus of his gaze. After a length of time, he responded, with a voice no louder than a whisper. "My Children are alive." Shock flooded the other occupants of the room at the admission, with Poseidon's mind racing at the thought of them surviving a blast from the master bolt. "I pushed out my aura when I sensed Zeus's bolt charging, but I could only cover the children. Maria was on the second floor when the impact came. I had not been fast enough to save her. My rage was unparalleled, at the loss of my lover. But the children had survived, and I know they needed to be hidden. With the Great prophecy at hand, I sought a solution, and found one. But before I go any further, are we in agreement on no hostility towards either of our children?" Poseidon strode to the desk, clasping his arm to that of his brother, choosing to protect his children rather than hold a grudge. _'This is a chance for a better future for us both, and I won't ignore that. To Tartarus with this pointless hate.'_ "I'm ready to turn over a new leaf if it means my children will be a little bit safer. I'm with you, brother."

Hades' mind was in shock at how fast Poseidon had accepted the tentative alliance, if it could be called such. _'Would it always have been this easy to make peace with him? He was never as proud as Zeus, but to know this is all that was required. Best to seize the bull by the horns as they say.'_ "If you're willing, I want to make an alliance. Between the two of us, I-," Hestia rose at that moment, "Ahem? The three of us, if you so please. While I have no children of my own, I would be more than willing to help protect your children and to see this alliance blossom into something good." Her smile vanished however, and the flames in the hearth roared along with her though when she scolded both gods. "However, this is NOT an excuse to go around impregnating mortals. Am. I. Clear?" Her gaze burned through the gods, making both cower to the firstborn child of the children of Kronos. "Yep." "Absolutely."

The quick responses could not have been more sincere. Hestia's cheerful expression returned, as did the lighting of the room. "Wonderful! Now, let's begin this alliance on the right foot. What of your children, Hades?" Said god's expression darkened at the mention of the kids. "They were placed in the home of the lotus eaters. Time moves different there, and they are 11 and 12 years old. I had thought of pulling them out to train them for the prophecy, but I am still unsure." Poseidon looked thoughtful at the mention of the lotus eaters. "A good hiding place, a demigod's scent could easily be lost in a place infested with monsters all around." Hades nodded along with the assessment. "What of your children, Poseidon? Forgive me, but I would think something is abnormal this time to warrant such an action to protect them." Poseidon's gaze darkened at that, and he sank into the armchair, the bags under his eyes becoming more prominent.

"Twins, brother. My first pair, godling, nymph, demigod, or otherwise. They have no precedent." He glanced over at his brother, who was deep in thought at the revelation. Looking at Hestia first, he replied. "My first demigod twins were incredible. They are very prone to exceptions though. Arden and Ariel had corresponding abilities that made them more powerful than normal. Arden could become a 'ghost' in which he could not be harmed, walk through walls, and the like. Ariel could telekinetically control precious metals and gems, and they could both open a gate to Tartartus, but opening a gate left them drained of energy to the point that it took years off their life." Hades took a long sip from the nectar before replacing it in his desk and filling a new tumbler with liquor. "But those were my first pair of twins. Apollo and Artemis had their own quirks, but due to their godhood, they were less pronounced. They can tell where each other are with a mere thought though, as long as they aren't being hidden by an outside source. I can only imagine what is in store for yours. If it is the same as most gods, they will have an exponentially stronger connection to your domains. But if so, it wouldn't surprise me if what one was strong in, the other would be lacking in, comparatively. Alas, that is only a theory, and I suspect only time will tell the truth on this matter." Poseidon nodded, having his suspicions confirmed by his brother. The conversation was steered away from children by Hestia after a long silence, and all three siblings agreed to meet regularly to discuss any news or anything of note. With that, they went their separate ways.

2 Months Later

"Everything will be alright Poseidon, Hades has the harpies patrolling the skies around the hospital, and cyclopses are guarding every entrance into the hospital. Go to Sally." Hurriedly, said god ran down the hall to the room where Sally had been for the past 8 hours. Hestia strolled in the same direction, but at a leisurely pace. _'I still have a bad feeling. So did Hades. He mentioned as much at the meeting last week. It can't be helped though. This much protection will still warrant attention from any monster or immortal around. It's a good thing Artemis owed me a favor.'_ Looking out the window at the moon, she frowned at the moon tracing a path through the night sky. _'I'm glad she's disillusioned with her father, but her loyalty is too strong. It's a shame she couldn't have helped Sally.'_

Hestia stayed at the window for next hour, checking in with Hades about his servants and patrolling the halls around Sally's room herself before a chime sounded over the speaker, signaling that the sole occupant of the pregnancy ward had delivered the first of the twins. With a warm smile, she made her way quickly to the room to see Sally still struggling to birth the second of the two. Meanwhile, she spotted a blue bundle being held by a nurse nearby, and which Hestia quickly relieved her of. Jet black hair, sticking every which way was the first thing she saw, but as tiny eyelids peeled back, Hestia was shocked at the intensity of the vivid green eyes that met hers. She took note of the silver flecks in the iris, bringing a rainstorm to mind. When she finally tore her gaze away from the mesmerizing orbs, she examined the tag on the blanket. ' _Perseus Ajax Jackson.'_ "A fitting name for you, little one." As she smiled at Perseus, she noted his cheery smile back at her, while his little hands reaching out of the blanket trying to reach her nose.

She was pulled out of her concentration when a cry erupted from Sally, followed by a high-pitched cry from the newborn in the doctor's arms. Sally sagged in relief, a teary Poseidon hugging her from the bedside. Words were shared with a nurse out of her earshot, before they took down a name and took Perseus from her to deliver them to the nursery. Smiling warmly, Hestia made her way over to Sally, giving her a burst of warmth to soothe the aching mother. "You did wonderfully, Sally. Two beautiful, healthy children." Sally was exhausted, but still blushed at the praise from a goddess. "Thank you lady Hestia, they ARE beautiful." She teared up again at the thought of her babies, bringing Hestia to the point of tears as well, but they were held back. "Please, Sally, just Hestia," she replied, making the mother stutter, and Poseidon laugh. "How long until they bring back Percy and Theo? I want to hold my children more than anything." Poseidon's gaze softened even further, if possible as he addressed Sally, "Not too long, the doctor said that they'd have to give them the basic shots and such, but that they'd return them within the hour." Sally was less than pleased, but resigned to wait.

Perhaps twenty minutes had passed before Poseidon suddenly snapped his head around in the direction of the nursery and summoned his trident in one smooth motion. Sally had fallen asleep, as 10 hours of labor had taken its toll upon her, but still stirred at the sudden action. "A number of cyclopses aren't reporting in," was all the warning Hestia got before Poseidon ran out the doors trident in hand. Hurriedly following in his wake, she cast her thoughts to Hades, poking a tendril at his mind. ' _Something is troubling Poseidon, apparently some cyclopses went quiet. That was all I got before he rushed out of Sally's room.'_ Hades' response came shortly, _'His mind is too focused for me to get his attention. I imagine Poseidon is already there, but check on the children first. They are the priority.'_ Giving the equivalent of a mental nod, Hestia turned in the direction of the nursery, her thoughts reaching for that of the children. It was never good to touch the minds of newborns or any young children for that matter, but time was of the essence.

With the doors to the nursery in sight, her heart dropped. One of the demigod nurses was on his back, a pool of blood stemming from a gash across his throat. Frantically, she stepped over his body and into the nursery to a nightmare. Poseidon's aura radiated out as he had a man covered in dark clothing impaled on his trident and pinned to the wall. Two other bodies were scattered across the room, not necessarily whole. The man on the wall was barely clinging to life, but with his face mask removed Hestia saw a solemn expression, no emotions present on his face. " _WHERE IS HE?!"_ Poseidon roared, pushing the trident further into the wall. As the wall gave way, taking the mysterious man to the floor, Hestia moved to the main area of the nursery, looking for the twins. A cry rang out from her left, and she ran to the noise. A head of brown hair and dark blue eyes streaked with emerald green greeted her, reminding her of young Perseus. She quickly checked the name on the tag, _'Theseus Orion Jackson.'_ _'That's one. But where is Perseus?'_ Frantically looking around with heightening fear, she soon found all other babies in the nursery not to be her quarry.

Turning her gaze to her brother, she strode over to him as he continued to interrogate the man on his trident. She was shocked to find the man long since dead, a pool of blood staining the debris of the once baby blue wall a thick crimson. Poseidon had fallen to his knees, but shakily stood and made his way to Theseus. Trident still embedded in the mysterious man's body, he cradled his son to his chest and turned to gaze a burning gaze to Hestia. His voice was no louder than a whisper when he spoke, "Take him to Sally, and hide her with Hades for now, I will follow shortly." With that, he reluctantly handed the babe off to Hestia, and returning to his now stained symbol of power. Removing it from the chest of the man, Poseidon grabbed the body by the neck and flashed out, likely headed to Atlantis. Cradling the babe to her, she raced back to Sally, mentally reaching out to Hades at the same time. _'Perseus, the elder twin, is missing. Poseidon killed three and took one away to Atlantis. The younger one is safe, I'm going to take Sally and head to your palace right away.'_ She received an affirmation from Hades, and mentally cursed the prohibition on flashing they had made as not to draw attention to their presence in the hospital.

When she arrived, she found a pair of cyclops with crossed spears across the doorway. Upon seeing her, they made an opening, but immediately resumed guard when she passed through the doorway. Sally was wide-awake and distressed, but was being comforted by a woman with flowers braided through her black hair. She turned her head and multi-colored eyes met orange, understanding passing through Hestia. "Persephone, can you take her back to the palace? I'll take young Theseus with me." The springtime goddess nodded, and vanished with the young mother in a soft light. Hestia took a look around, grabbing any personal effects left in the room. With a last check, she clutched Theseus to her chest. "Hold on, little one." Orange flames, and she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey all! This is my first fanfiction, but don't pull any punches if you have criticism, please. I love reviews, and I only want to improve my writing. Since I kind of forgot to put it in my first chapter,**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the PJO or BoO series, all property of Rick Riordan is his property. I own nothing besides any OC's, and even those are influenced by any and all literature I've read.**

 **Anyways, here's the second chapter of Cloudburst! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2:

Hestia nearly flashed into a distraught Sally, who came flying out of Hades' study. _'Aether help this woman. To have lost a child after holding him for only a spell…'_ Sally's face was covered in tears, and so was Theseus's as his mother held him to her tightly. Hestia wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her back into the study, which now sported a large sofa next to the hearth in the place of armchairs. "Try and calm yourself Sally, Theo needs you right now, and cursing to the heavens won't help Perseus." At the mere mention of her eldest child, a new wave of tears rocked Sally, but she nodded slightly, lifting her hands to dry her child's face of her tears. "I know this is a horrible situation, but we must wait for Poseidon to arrive." Hades' voice startled Hestia, having been focused on the room's other occupant. Hestia nodded an affirmation, and sat with Sally next to the fire, using some of her godly aura to calm Sally's mind.

Not long after harsh sea green light came under the door, followed by two sets of footsteps. Poseidon opened the door, followed by a green-skinned man walking unsteadily behind him. "I'll never quite get used to these 'legs,' father." Poseidon rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Triton, bear with it for now. We're in a crisis." The now named prince of the sea nodded, and tightened his grip on the box he was carrying. As they approached the desk, Hades snapped his fingers and a circular table popped into place in the middle of the room. After setting the box on the table top, Triton backed away to take up a position next to the door. Sally's eyes had tracked his movements ever since he had entered, wary at the unknown intent of her lover's heir. Poseidon caught the gaze, however. "Sally, Triton is here to help. The twins aren't even close in the line of succession, and Triton and Amphitrite both know this. Just relax, he means no harm." Triton emphasized this with a slight smile, which made Sally relax slightly, and approach the table along with the rest of the room's occupants.

Seeing everyone gathered around the table, Poseidon opened the box and began to remove items from within. "We went back and recovered the other two bodies and their equipment. We also interviewed the cyclops guards. I trust you received statements from the harpies, brother?" Hades nodded in the affirmative, and Poseidon continued. "There was hardly anything descriptive on the bodies themselves, save for a numerical tattoo they all shared on the left shoulder. They each had other tattoos, but the numerical ones are the important ones." At this, he motioned to a tablet with two images displayed on its screen. _'085, 137.'_ Hestia was the first to respond, "Do we know how these connect the two? And what about the third? What happened to his number?" At this, Poseidon turned to look at Hestia. "The two numbers you see are from the two assailants I blasted to pieces on arrival. They were dead before the body parts stopped moving. The third man, the one I impaled, reacted fast and made a dash for Theseus. When I stabbed him however, he moved his hand to his shoulder and broke something in his hand. Both his hand and his shoulder were covered in acid burns. We could find remnants of the tattoo, but not enough to make out a distinct number." With that said, Poseidon removed two vials in a plastic bag from the box. "This is believed to be the same substance, but was never used."

"Outside of that, we have almost nothing to go on besides these." Reaching to the bottom of the box, he removed what appeared to be two daggers along with a short sword, all made out of celestial bronze. "The bronze had been blackened, as not to be flashy, and they were all carrying mortal weapons as well. Steel knives and the like." He placed all the evidence on the table, and looked around at the group. "The motive here is clear. They were after the twins, and they knew Sally was in labor, my guards reported that they had been seen among the staff as much as three hours before Perseus was born. Their mission was to kidnap the children, but they were interrupted before they could snatch both." Despite his quiet voice, his rage was shown by the increasing creaks the table gave, close to buckling under the sea god's grip. Hades, seeing his brother lost in thought, examined the photos and started off, "These types of tattoos aren't new, I've heard tales from my judges in the underworld about certain souls that were on track for unavoidable judgment having tattoos that shone bright, bright enough to shine through the clothes they had on. Everyone was noted down, but even their name was a mystery. They only identified by a codename, and their number. To be able to meddle with someone's soul to the point that it has no identity…this is the work of something powerful."

Seeing the troubled expressions of all gathered, he continued. "Now, that's not to say that all of them had no name. There were a few, extremely powerful souls, souls that, when they were alive, could have fought minor gods on even footing. All of them demigods, through and through. They had extensive tattoos as well. I fear that the organization responsible for creating them is the behind the kidnapping of Perseus." Hestia took note of the reluctance in his voice, and capitalized on it, trying desperately to seize any information. "Organization, brother? And just how long have these souls been showing up for fast track judgement?" There were innumerable questions that Hades' information had given Hestia, but she had darker suspicions. _'Hades said they just showed up for fast track judgement, does that imply he wasn't the one to put them on that track? Who else has that much authority?'_ Hades closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "I highly suspect the being behind this organization… to be Tartarus."

Fear struck all other occupants of the room, sinking into their bones. But before Hades could elaborate, both Poseidon and Triton snapped their heads away to the east before locking gazes. "Triton, go investigate, but be careful. I will follow momentarily." Although hesitant, Triton vanished in a sea breeze, leaving Poseidon to return to the table and take a last glance around. Hestia piped up quickly, before he could even open his mouth. "That was Perseus, was it not? His power? I'm coming with you, Poseidon, and that's that." Rather than try and dissuade her, Poseidon set his mouth into a grim line and nodded. He then looked to his elder brother. "Hades, can you look after Sally until we return? I hate to burden you like this, bu-" he was interrupted before he could finish. "Go brother, do what you must, they shall both be safe here. I swear it. Now hurry!" Poseidon and Hestia were gone before he had finished speaking.

"Where are the other three? We were supposed to be at the rendezvous point an hour ago, 82." Code 059 had been part of the handpicked squad for this mission, which had come down all the way from the top. _'This was supposed to be a routine snatch, take the demigod before they made it back to the mother. I'm going to kill August when we get back. There was never any intel on there being two Olympians in that damn hospital, let alone fucking harpies and cyclops thicker than grass inside the place.'_ "You think I'm not aware? I had barely made it out the back before Pos-the sea god roared. I'm almost positive he caught the other squad before they could snatch the other." Recalling the surprise at hearing that there were twins, he ground his teeth for the fourth time in the last hour. "That's another thing. We got the contract to snatch one demigod. ONE! Not a pair of twins from that crazy sea god back there. That's not even counting that the eldest sibling was patrolling the halls." Sagging back against the tree, he cast a glance back towards the window facing the street. Upon realizing the second squad was going to be late, 59 had made the choice to go ahead to the safe house ahead of them, prioritizing the infant they were in charge of delivering.

Sparing a glance to the back of the room, at the last member of their three man squad, he watched the young infant struggle to escape the arms of the slightly uncomfortable woman holding him. "Does this operation bother you that much, 112? Don't even try to deny it, there's no shame. It's not a fun job. But, this is what pays the bills, and what keeps our organization alive. When we deliver that kid, we're going to get more gold than Midas at a high-five convention." _'Not to mention the kids are twins, and a strong pair at that. Damn kid actually hurt my finger when he grabbed it.'_ Casting a last glance over the room, he turned to face 59. "We need to go. They haven't reported in, no emergency signals, nothing. I know we pulled them at the last minute to help, but we need to deliver this kid before he spikes his power again. This kid is a monster for power. I about dropped him when he started to cry, about shook himself out of my arms." He moved to gather the bag from the window, and slung it over his shoulder. Taking out his knife to check the edge, he gave his equipment a once over. "I'm positive that that power spike alerted something, or someone. The level of power saturating this area is too intense for there not be an immortal running around close by. Let's go." 59 nodded in the affirmative, also feeling the increase in power close by. Motioning to 112, he moved to the door, unlocking and opening it before poking his head outside.

"Let's move." Moving fast, they cut a fast pace down the sidewalk, careful to not to outpace the other foot traffic. With his head on a swivel, 82 cast a glance across the street, internally swearing at the silver clad woman that had nearly found them earlier. _'I'm certain that was Artemis. If she's actively hunting for us, then we're in deep shit.'_ Casting a glance back at 59, he took note of the man's tired eyes. Using his augmented powers had taken a toll on him, but his gait was still steady. _'To be expected of a veteran. I can't imagine having active status for more than 20 years. Let alone surviving the 8 years of training.´_ He was snapped out of his thoughts however, when Perseus began to cry. Not just tears came forth though, a harsh emerald light shone from within the blanket, and the skies above immediately began to darken. _'Shit. How did Zeus find out about us? This is crazy, there's absolutely no-'_ at that, Perseus screamed, and a sudden flood came with it. A pit formed in all three people's stomachs as they witnessed such a display from an _infant_. "There's, th-there's no fucking way! He's only two hours old, at most…" A sickening realization hit 82, however. "That power surge just gave his location. We have to split. 112, have any sedative left? I know we used most on guards, but he can't keep giving up our location like that." Instead of a reply, 112 merely reached into her satchel and removed a syringe, and popped off the cap in a smooth motion.

After Perseus had fallen asleep, they resumed walking, trying to talk out a plan of action. 59 made the final call. "Artemis will have his trail by now, and Poseidon will have sensed that power surge in his domain. This jig is up, but we can still get the kid to the retrieval point. 112, you're going to make for the point, no stopping, this is the absolute priority. 82, you'll cover for her. You won't do any good against an Olympian, your powers are more suited to espionage like 112. I'll lead them away, you two get going. 82, split off once 112 and the kid are away. I'll meet you at the original rendezvous point at 0600, are we clear?" 112 looked skeptical, but nodded. 82 knew that 59 was correct, but still didn't like it. "You'd better be there, old man. You're buying breakfast when we get there." Not wasting any time, the two cut a brisk walk down the street, not sparing a backwards glance. Turning his gaze back to the direction they had come from, he took up a post leaning on a light pole, and began to concentrate. Soon enough, an orb of grey light detached itself from his chest, and began to float up until it reached the center of the street, where it rose and exploded, letting loose a pulse of power to all in the vicinity.

Artemis was worried, heavily so. First, Hestia calls in a favor to turn a blind eye to the gathering of monsters around a hospital. _'That in itself was not significant. I trust Hestia, as she has only the best in mind for Olympus. But that surge of power, I know that to be Poseidon. But why was he at that hospital? There is always the chance that he has sired a demigod, but I hope that's not the case. Father will surely want them exterminated, and I take no joy in killing infants._ Despite her loyalty to her father, Artemis had her own code of honor, and killing children infringed upon it. _'Still, I must get to the bottom of this before father takes notice and does something rash.'_ With that in mind, she flashed to the location of the first surge she had felt outside the hospital. Arriving inside an empty room, she could still feel remnant traces of the sea, but it didn't feel quite right. _'Poseidon is involved, one way or another. I'll get in touch with Hestia soon to get down to the bottom of this nonsense.'_ Before she could examine the room further, another pulse, stronger than the last, ran through her. _'What in Tartarus was that? That wasn't strong enough to be Poseidon, but that gave me tremors from a distance. Just what is going on here?'_ After pinpointing the pulse, she flashed onto the scene. What greeted her was an empty street, but torrential rainfall, to the point that visibility was 20 feet in any direction at most. It didn't last long however, before it began to calm. _'That was strange. I felt the divine power in it, but it hardly lasted long at all. But still, regardless of the duration, a deluge of such strength?'_ Her gaze searching as the rain began to recede, she was shocked to see a green-skinned man holding a trident approaching the center of the street. Ducking into an alley, she watched his movements.

She didn't have to wait long for action. No sooner had he reached the middle of the street before a bolt of murky gray light shot out at him from the other side of the road. He reacted fast, but not fast enough for her to miss the movement. His upper body twisted to avoid the light, which turned into a roll to the side to avoid any follow up shots. More bolts of light traced a path at him, giving Artemis an idea of where they came from. Knocking an arrow, she didn't draw, but merely assumed a ready stance as she eyed the four-story brick building housing the assailant. Using the still present rain water, the man she suspected to be one of Poseidon's court erected a wall of water between him and his attacker, before two flashes of light erupted down the street. She was more than surprised when none other than Poseidon and Hestia strode down to the other man, before exchanging words. "Yes father," was the response of the green man before he vanished in a sea breeze. _'What in Aether's name is going on that warrants their presence? This is_ _not_ _good at all. Hestia might be able to sens-'_ She was pulled out of her thoughts as Hestia stepped back from Poseidon, before snapping her gaze to Artemis. Said goddess tensed as Hestia held up a hand and made a beckoning gesture. Poseidon seemed to care less as he took the existing wall of water and sent it through the windows of the offending building.

Not wanting to risk any anger from either child of Kronos, Artemis slowly approached from her hiding spot, never once taking her gaze off of Poseidon. Upon reaching the goddess, Hestia pulled her to her side, minding the still knocked arrow on her bow. "Niece, have faith, and all will be revealed. But right now, stay quiet, and stay out of our way." Artemis was at a loss when she heard the iron in Hestia's voice, not having heard that tone from the goddess in a _very_ long time. Merely nodding, she turned her gaze to the building front, seeing Poseidon standing still as a man surrounded by water was dragged out of the building, covered up to his neck in the liquid. Poseidon wasted no time, and the water pinned the man to the brick wall behind him. As the excess water gathered around Poseidon's feet, she finally got a good look at the mysterious attacker. He wore dark clothing all around, nothing that was loose or could flap around. A sword hung on his back, along with a satchel over his shoulder. Poseidon relieved him of both, which he handed to Hestia. Sparing a narrowed gaze at Artemis, he returned to his captive.

Without any warning, he tore the left sleeve off of the jacket said assailant was wearing, exposing a numerical tattoo on the shoulder. Poseidon spoke in what could only be described as a growl. "Shall I call you _scum_ or 059? It matters not. Where. Is. _HE?!_ " Artemis took a step back at the volume of the last utterance, but the man pinned to the wall, not a foot from Poseidon, never reacted. Instead, he replied calmly. "Likely already gone. Damn brat was more powerful than we expected. But it's too late." Artemis was suspicious of the tone. _'Is he resigned to his fate? Was this a planned diversion?'_ Hestia quickly approached Poseidon, and before he could summon his trident, put a hand on his shoulder. "Let me, brother. We need him alive." Poseidon was reluctant to back down, but did so. His love for his son overriding his hate. "Hestia closed her eyes and laid a hand on the man's head. "He has traces of Perseus' power all over him. He likely held him at some point." At this, Poseidon stiffened. Hestia's hand began to glow, however, and soon the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. The man stiffened at the pain, but said nothing, merely looking at the sky, almost fervently searching for something. Like an answer from on high, a bright light, accompanied with a loud crack, lit up the surrounding area. "That's the signal flair. He's gone."

Hestia wasted no time in slamming his head into the wall behind him, rendering him unconscious. Looking to Poseidon, she noted his expression was on the verge of tears. Hestia spared a glance to the unconscious man, before he vanished in a flash of light. Returning to Poseidon, she laid a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort the sea god. Turning to Artemis, she spoke, "Meet me at my palace on Olympus, niece. Within the hour. I will be there." With that, they vanished in a flash. Confused but curious, Artemis decided to withhold the information from her father for now. _'That was all the proof I needed, Poseidon surely has a demigod. Although, it would seem he was kidnapped. But who would dare to steal the offspring of a god?'_ Similar thoughts crossed her mind, but she put them aside. "This had better be good." And she was gone.

112 never liked the doors. _'That feeling isn't something I'll ever get used to.'_ She exited slow, careful of the infant she held. As soon as she was all the way through, she opened her eyes to the familiar lobby she had come to know. Dark stone walls, fluorescent lighting, and lots of dark clothed individuals, some armed, watching the doors. She was quickly relieved of the infant by an officer, who hurried off down a hallway to the right, most likely to get him to the lab. _'To Tartarus with this mission, I just want to sleep.'_ Being a natural born daughter of Janus, she found it odd that she hated the doors she could make with such a passion. She had received the basic augment, like most of the other people here. A big needle, some glowing gold liquid, and she was stronger, needed less sleep, and healed faster, just to name big attributes. If she hadn't been augmented, she would surely have long since kicked the bucket. ' _Two doors, one into the hospital, and one back into base. I need a raise.'_

She was snapped out of her train of thought by a call from her left. Approaching from the center of the room was the operation's commanding officer. _'Tartarus help me survive this debriefing.'_ 038 was a nice woman, but she was a stickler when it came to work. "Head to the briefing room, we'll talk there." She wasn't spared a second glance as 38 strode to the laboratory at a brisk pace. Not bothering to ask, 112 made her way to the room. _'This isn't going to be good for anybody. Three agents MIA, two agents still in the field, one of which is probably dead or captured. No, this is going to suck_ _ass_ _.'_ Sighing, she grasped the metal door knob and turned. Upon opening the door, she was stunned to see the vital readout on the monitor. The entirety of the second squad was dead. The sensors all had a signal as well, meaning that there was no doubt. _'To be expected, in all honesty. They went toe-to-toe with Poseidon, after all.'_ Turning to look at her squad vitals, she saw that there was no connection to 59, while 82's pulse was fast, but overall normal values. _'He's been captured or worse. I'm positive that the cat is out of the bag this time. He won't break, but if they bring in somebody who can manipulate memories, he has his orders.'_ Running her tongue over her own fake tooth, she moved to take a seat around the table and wait for 38 to return.

Perseus rested quietly in the cradle, oblivious to the situation he had fallen into. Behind the glass, 38 watched the lab personnel carefully, wary of their constant bustle. There was a cough behind her, and she turned to acknowledge it. "He's a freak of nature. Nothing less. His powers are off the charts. On top of that, he's got one hell of a combination of powers." Dr. Gress was the head of the augmentation division, but you'd never tell it by appearance. Casual to a fault, his brown hair was short, and his lab coat was a crisp white, as usual. But his black eyes shone with an unusual intensity, their gaze directed at the newest occupant of the nursery. 38 greeted him, his scientific ramblings informing her she was the last thing he was concerned with. "Doctor. I trust he is in good hands, yes? It's not every day we get a child of the big three." He never took his eyes off of Perseus. "He's going to be a one of the elite, should he live through the augmentation. He's going to be the first of a new breed. It's nearly orgasmic, really."

' _He never fails to awe me with his marriage to science, but a new breed? What's wrong with normal augmentations? Don't tell me this is part of that new project…'_ "A new breed, doctor? What do you mean?" 38 followed Gress to the window, but her attention was snatched by activity at the far end of the nursery. Gress continued without pause. "When we augment demigods and clear sighted mortals, we've always used concentrated ichor, as in high amounts, it can pass on some divinity with heavy dosage. But you know this, you're augmented as well, after all. Which type again?" 38 shivered as she recalled the process. "I was given the type-4 augmentation, not a pleasant experience at all. My past aside, what are you rambling about, Gress? My patience is wearing thin." _'This has Tartarus' scent all over it. I don't like it one bit, but then again, the council has the final call on all augmentation, surely they wouldn't allow anything too drastic?'_ Dr. Gress' smile grew, if anything, as the back doors of the nursery parted, and two women in white garb came through, a heavy cart between them. "Here, we've been creating stronger demigods and mortals for close to 60 years now. Why leave well enough alone? Why indeed, when we could have _more._ And one of our sponsors has given us the means to reach even further beyond. Look, there."

His slim fingers motioned to the nurses now standing over Perseus. The doctor pulled out a piece of paper, somewhat worn, but intact. Examining it closely, he handed it to 38. "Go on, read it. A marvelous name. Strength, oh my dear, the _strength._ He, _Perseus Ajax,_ will be more." The nurses, much to 38's distaste, had pulled out the augmentation apparatus. A needle, the greater part of a foot. A nozzle, for a bottle of concentrated ichor. A handle resembling a pistol grip, to give leverage. And finally, the bottle of gol- "Doctor, what is the mea-,"38 backed away, not understanding what she was seeing. _'Ichor is gold. GOLD. Th-that, whatever that is, is SILVER.'_ Dr. Gress gave a nod through the glass to the nurses, motioning to continue. "This is a necessary step, if we are to move forward." He trailed off as a cry erupted from the nursery, drowning all else out. The nurses never reacted as everything around them began to shake, windows breaking and showering the doctor with glass. Soon enough it all quieted, and the vial of silver liquid was empty, every last drop coursing into Perseus.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey again! Just to let you know, I was on vacation this past week, and now it's over. This means I won't have as much time for writing, so expect slower updates. I'll try and make them longer in exchange. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO/BoO, or any of Riordan's property. I only own my OC.**

Chapter 3:

Artemis' confusion only grew when Hestia flashed in, accompanied by an entourage. _'Poseidon and Hades both? This is definitely big, but who is the mortal?'_ "Hestia, wha-," Hestia raised a hand, halting her mid-sentence, before motioning to Poseidon, to had an arm around the mortal. He gave a nod, and moved Sally into the palace, towards the living room. Hades remained behind however, eying the moon goddess with unease. Hestia broke the silence once the couple was out of sight. "I need an oath, Artemis. Nothing that is said here, in my palace, will leave my palace until we are ready. This is sensitive information." Artemis had a retort half-formed when the room began to darken, and images she could have done without seeing began to form in her mind. Casting a glance at Hades, she saw a fierce expression, one almost as unyielding as Hestia's. _'Tartarus. Well, might as well bite the bullet on this one.'_ "Very well. I, Phoebe Artemis, swear on the Styx not to reveal any information shared at this meeting, until given permission. Will that suffice?" A nod came from both Hestia and Hades, as they began to follow the path Poseidon and Sally had taken.

When Hestia and the others finally reached the living room, Artemis did a double take. Where there had been two people to initially enter, 4 now awaited their arrival. Poseidon stood behind the unnamed mortal woman, who clutched a blue bundle to her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she didn't seem in the best of health. _'Her child, no doubt. But it can't be old at all, something's not right here.'_ Tapping into her domain of childbirth, she reached out to the woman and her child. Her golden blood ran cold at the revealed information. _'He's not even three hours old. But my domain is telling me she gave birth to twins, and the elder one is nowhere to be found.'_ Thoughts began to take form in her head, none of them good. _'Regardless of all else, this child has a twin. I can only imagine the power they'll wield. Father was paranoid enough when Hades' first pair of twins walked the earth.'_ Deciding to not beat around the bush, Artemis spoke. "I take it the child is yours, Poseidon?" A downcast nod was the response, his gaze firmly locked on the infant. He lifted his gaze to the last occupant of the room. "Yes, niece, he is mine. His name is Theseus Orion Jackson, and he had a twin, born two hours before him. His twin was kidnapped from the hospital." A tear tracked down his face at the admission, before he locked gazes with Artemis.

"We're trying to find him, but this man is our only lead. He is the last living member of the squad who carried out the attack." With her fears confirmed, Artemis examined the prisoner closely. _'He doesn't really stand out. Gray hair, hazel eyes, average height: a normal looking male, closer to 50 than 40 I think. His aura tells a different tale, however. That's a demigod aura, but it's off, tainted even. It feels almost like a-,'_ before she could speak on her suspicions, Hades confirmed it. "He's a demigod, but like none we've ever seen. I suspect him to be a child of Athena, but he has powers that don't fit with that. Poseidon and Hestia both informed me of the 'bolts of gray light' he was throwing, but that's not something Athena's kids have ever been capable of. Even her occasional twins have been known to be telepathic, but that was the full extent. Not borderline magic." He made a gesture off to the side, a woman stepping into being from his shadow. "Mnemosyne will attempt to view his memories, as a favor. Be ready for anything, though. He's a professional, that much is clear." Nodding to Mnemosyne, Hades moved to stand within arm's reach of the prisoner, who was now restrained with tendrils of darkness. Said goddess laid a hand on the head of 59.

After a short pause, Mnemosyne spoke. "His thoughts are muddled, he will have to be conscious for me to proceed. However, there was a clear thought at the forefront. He has a fake tooth, one containing a poison. I suggest it be removed before he gets a chance to use it. It's one of the lower right molars, it rolls out to the tongue." Hades gave a nod as a skeletal hand came out of the shadows. Two more came from around the shoulders, prying open the mouth and holding the head steady. Without hesitation, the first arm reached to the rear of the mouth, pushing each molar in sequence. At the next to last, it came loose and was snatched up by the hand. After depositing the molar in the hand of its lord, the hand dissolved, followed closely by its brethren. "Now that his backup plan is taken care of, let's find out exactly what he knows. Poseidon, would you like to do the honors?" With no hesitation, Poseidon summoned his trident and snapped his fingers, causing a ball of water to form above the captured man. Gravity took over, coating 59 in the freezing liquid.

Artemis was impressed. The man never had any hesitation, only a split second of thought was required before he schooled his impression into an emotionless visage. _'If he's found out his tooth is gone, he's being awfully cool-headed about it. A professional indeed.'_ Hades led the interrogation, questioning the man when he was sure he was aware of his surroundings. "We'll use 59 until you give us anything else to call you. Now, 59, we know your group's objective to have been the kidnapping of the twins. How many were involved?" Silence was the only response. Hades motioned to Mnemosyne after a short pause, the goddess once again placing her hand on his head. She didn't need time for the second attempt. "His mind is guarded, someone has instructed him well. But not good enough. There were two three-man squads, he was the leader of his squad." Hades looked thoughtful at the mention of two separate squads. _'Why not one squad? Having two separate leaders in the field could lead to complications. There must have been a complication for them to pull in a separate squad.'_ Artemis caught the man's slightly shocked expression that accompanied a slight movement of his jaw. _'He knows the fake tooth is gone. Let's see if this changes his attitude.'_

Summoning her bow on a gut feeling, she drew it back partway, and trained the arrow on the assailant, slightly pleased when she saw a bead of sweat roll down his neck. All was quiet before he spoke in a voice that betrayed no emotion. "59 is fine. Yes, I was the squad leader. As Mnemosyne kindly said, two squads." He paused for a spell, seeming to gather his thoughts. _'Very cooperative for a professional,'_ was all Artemis could think. 59 resumed talking, eyeing Sally and Poseidon with an expression that could almost be described as sad. "My squad was initially given the mission of a snatch and grab. A routine mission, having two Olympian level gods inside the hospital was never in the intel. We called for backup, but a second squad was standing by, at the ready. That was not how we operated. We are trained to be quick, clean, and efficient. Two squads shouldn't have been involved for a single mission." Poseidon was still angry, Artemis noticed, but he had calmed significantly since the man had started his confession. "I'm not being tight lipped because all my knowledge is restricted to the mission. Memories are locked away so as to not distract from the operation. They are restored upon completion. As of this moment, I know our objective, the codes of the other operatives, and the target. I was given the general direction of the evac zone, but all other information rests with the operative who ran with the kid. 112 was our means of transport, daughter of Janus. Got us in, got she got away, along with the other member of my squad. We never got contact from the other squad after we left the hospital. After sending them on ahead, I caused a diversion. 112 popped the flair we all saw, that was done when she had secured a passage back to base. And we know what happened after that."

59's mind was racing. _'I HAVE to make them believe me. If I can stall until 0630, 82 will be long gone. With the type 7 augmentation, he can throw them off and move fast enough to avoid being caught. I might have to give up some hard information, but they absolutely CANNOT get their hands on 82. His augmentation has yet to fully integrate and has yet to truly take root. But that's what you get if the process isn't started before someone reaches 10 years old. Kid's 21, with less than two years of experience with his powers. If the gods find a mortal running around with powers like a child of Hermes, our squad will be in deep shit.'_ Steeling his nerve, he prepared to ask their plans, but was interrupted by Hades. "How were your memories locked away? That power is surely beyond anyone short of an Olympian, and even then, it wouldn't last unless it was done by Mnemosyne here." 59 latched onto the conversation, his intent to steer it away from the surviving squad mates. "I don't know. All I know is that we line up after we leave a room with a red door. I assume that room is where the memories are handled." Hades motioned to the goddess of memory, gesturing at the prisoner. _'SHIT.'_ Her hand rested on his temple, before he felt a presence in his mind. He followed his instincts, pushing all information that wasn't volatile to the forefront, while he gathered anything about the augmentations to the back of his mind, just before the empty space left from the wipe.

The presence was gone after a moment of sifting through his memories. "He speaks the truth, best I can tell. There is a large gap in his memories, a massive gap at that." Hades cursed, not liking the situation a bit. He looked over at Artemis, questioning, "Would you mind watching over him while I speak to my siblings? Feel free to use unnecessary force." Artemis gave a borderline eager nod, drawing the arrow back to rest on her cheek. Not wasting a second, he beckoned Hestia and Poseidon out of the room. Once outside, he spoke slowly, knowing this idea would not set well at all with his brother. "I think it would be best to show him to the council on the morrow. We can hold him until then, but with Apollo present, we could get more out of him. But, as this has already spread outside of our little group, we should bite the bullet. Better to let Zeus know now, and in front of the council, before he finds out from an outside source." Poseidon, naturally, started to argue, but seemed to think it over. _'We can use this opportunity to bring all our children out into the light. With their presence known, any act against them will have to be premeditated, and ran by the council. Hopefully, that is.'_ Looking at Hestia, she gave him a firm nod, agreeing wholeheartedly it seemed. There was a shuffle, a twang, and a grunt of pain from the other room, accompanied by Artemis' reply. "We're fine here, no worries." Fearing for the prisoner's life, Hades returned to his brother.

"I will trust your judgement brother. But Sally and Theseus will be far away from the meeting, under protection." His brother's trust meant quite a deal to Hades, not having been on the best of terms with any of his siblings outside of Hestia for nigh on a millennia. Clasping Poseidon's outstretched arm, he gave his own affirmation. "I think Persephone will be more than happy for the company. She has taken a shine to Sally, I think." Poseidon smiled slightly, but his face remained grim. "I will let Sally know of the plan, and I will deliver her to your palace, brother. After she is safe, I must return to Atlantis to set things in order for the coming events." Nodding to this, Hades accompanied his siblings back to the living room, the sight greeting him almost comical. Artemis stood a few feet away from the downed man, an arrow through his shoulder. Turning to acknowledge their return, she explained. "He used that silver light to break the bonds on his hands. When his hands started to glow, I put an arrow covered in sedative through his shoulder. A knock on the head for good measure." The now unconscious man vanished in a shadow, right into a holding cell monitored by Alecto herself.

"Good work, niece. We thank you for your assistance and discretion in this matter. A council meeting will be called tomorrow, concerning this…problem. We will see you there." With that said, Hades vanished in a wave of darkness. By then, Poseidon had grabbed Sally and was long gone. Only Hestia and Artemis remained. Turning to her aunt, she asked, "Hestia, exactly what is going on to have Poseidon and Hades working with one another on such terms?" Hestia smiled a smile that was warm, showing her appreciation of the relationship. "Poseidon decided to make peace with Hades, and Hades accepted. I was a catalyst, of course, but it fell to them to see eye to eye. And now, we have a semblance of the family we once were a part of." Artemis' stomach froze at that. _'They're working together? Tartarus only knows how father will react to this. Still, this might not be bad. With two of the big three in the same corner, they can easily overpower Zeus. As long as the council doesn't get out of hand, tomorrow should be interesting.'_ A thought occurred to Artemis as she thought of the extremely young child of Poseidon she had seen recently. "Hestia, no one ever mentioned the name of the missing twin. He DOES have a name, I assume?" Hestia's face fell at that. "Yes. A name indeed. His name, Artemis, is Perseus Ajax Jackson." _'The destroyer.'_

* * *

112 didn't have to wait long until 38 arrived, looking quite shaken. Of course, the first question was about the other members of her squad. "82 was sent to the rendezvous point, while I was given the kid to extract. 59 stated he was going to take them off our trail in order for a clean escape. 82 was given orders to meet 59 at 0600 this morning, and 59 never showed, to immediately flee the scene, and lay low as needed. We never heard from the other squad, ma'am." 38 nodded at her summary. _'Strike while the iron is hot, they say.'_ "If I may, what the hell happened out there? The whole room shook for a second, scared me half to death!" 38's eyes snapped to hers, seeming to bore into 112's own. "Never mind that. As to the mission, the objective was met. A success, the council says. It's not your squad's fault, however. We weren't informed of twins, and such a heavy guard was not in your intel. One of the twins was taken, perfect one, if Dr. Gress had anything to say on the matter." 112's eyes narrowed at the uneasy tone 38 used with the last sentence. _'That's just too suspicious. Gress creeps everyone out when his fetish gets stroked, but damn, to unsettle 38? She's a hard nut to crack.'_

She was shaken out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. 38 turned, opening it, and was greeted by a messenger, his dark outfit soaked with sweat. "Ma'am, both of your presences are requested in meeting hall number four. High priority." With that, he took off at a run, checking his wrist at the next intersection. 38 turned her head back to the room, motioning for 112 to follow. Without hesitation, 112 fell into step on 38's right, taking a moment to examine her commanding officer. Her hair was honey blonde, with brown eyes surrounded by a sparse number of lines. _'52 my ass. She doesn't look a day over 40!_ ' Still holding to a straight path, they soon arrived at a set of ten feet high metal doors, opened to allow entry. Not pausing, 38's brisk walk took them to the second path on the right, entering yet another set of metal doors. _'Regardless of knowing we're too skilled and experience to be "let go," I'll never lose my uneasiness here.'_ Recalling the dark memories of the last group to take action against the council was never a pleasant experience. She still heard the screams, if she got too upset. 112 shook her head in an attempt to clear out the memories.

38 held out an arm, stopping her short of the entrance to the hall. There was a certain edge to her eyes that unsettled 112. "No matter what comes up in this room, you keep your head down, mouth shut, and don't look anyone in the eye. I got word that there was going to be a big meeting soon, I'll have to give a report. You. Stay. Quiet. I have good intel that this meeting is going to have members of the council present." 112's blood ran cold. _'The council, here?! Shit, shit, shit.'_ Not trusting her voice, she merely nodded to show she understood. After a moment's pause, 38 nodded back, and walked forward. The room was lit, but still somewhat dark, as usual. The only bright lights shone upon a stage at the far end of the hall, raised above the sloped floor of the hall. 38 walked all the way to the stage, 112 close behind. There were seats with their numbers on them off to the side, somewhat back from the front of the stage. Once they had taken their seats, the lights dimmed, save for a tight circle around the black marble podium at the center of the stage. It was only once her eyes adjusted that she noticed the hall was filled to the brim. Careful to keep her expression neutral, she stared resolutely at a lamp on the fa wall. _'Every officer, commander, and official must be here. Just what in Tartarus is going on?'_ She kept her gaze focused as slow footsteps sounded on the wood of the stage floor. The entire hall quieted as a tall figure stepped to the podium, his grim visage looking out over the assembled group.

"I thank everyone for coming on such short notice." His voice was the same as always. Deep and grating, reminding her of a trash compactor. Strong, slow, and unyielding. _'Chills down my spine, every time.'_ "The point of this meeting is to make sure everyone in the chain of command knows what our objective is in the coming times. You may remember the change in mandatory active mission disqualification age being decreased to 45 from 50, unless special permission was given. That was the tip of the iceberg, my friends. We have completed our primary and secondary goals for our preparations. As of mere moments ago, we have moved on to the next phase, which will be a period of conditioning and further preparation for the coming operations. With our strength now numbering in the hundreds for each base of operations, we are _ready._ " 112 couldn't help but be inspired by the intensity in his voice. While he never used a monotone, such emotion was uncommon, and it showed. The room was charged with anticipation. "Many lives have been lost in pursuit of our goal. They gave everything to see our mission through. They did so proudly, knowing that sacrifice is sometimes necessary. Within the last 5 hours, our own squad 12 conducted an operation to secure a demigod for our side." He paused, taking in the curious atmosphere. "They succeeded, however code 112 was the only operative to make it back out of 3. She has done us proud, as she escaped from not only one, but THREE Olympian gods!" The hall erupted into cheers, but 112 was having none of it. _'Something is wrong here. The other squad was never mentioned, shouldn't that be noteworthy? And how did they know about there being three Olympians? That wasn't in my report…'_ She tore her gaze away from the lamp to spare a glance at the speaker.

His dark grey eyes bordered on black. His hair was pulled back into a topknot, well clear of this three piece suit. The white scars poking out from the sleeves of his jacket caught the light, as did the ones on his face. _'Prometheus is excited? He must have convinced the rest of the council to listen to him again.'_ As the now named Titan introduced 38, 112 cast a look at her superior. To anyone else, 38 was stoic, stone cold even. But 112 caught the signs only a close friend would. Her hands were slightly loose around each other, and her wedges weren't perfectly parallel. _'Yep. I'm going to get some answers one way or another once this is all over. This is just too suspicious.'_ 38 had risen by now, and began her summary of the operation, excluding all mention of the ghost squad the same as Prometheus had. It didn't take long, and soon enough, it was over. 112 rose, moving to 38, and taking up her usual position one step behind on her right side. Not even receiving a glance from 38, 112 cut a path back to the exit, retracing their path to the briefing room. Instead of turning inside, however, they continued on until they reached a door with a keypad. "I'm sorry you couldn't have your mind restored right away, but it was for the best." In a much lower voice, she added, "Don't even think of the other squad. They were off the record, but I'll fill you in on everything later. We have a new task, straight from Prometheus himself. When you're done here, go rest and recuperate. We're meeting in the same briefing room at 2000 hours tonight. Are we clear?" Her tone left no room for argument, and 112 nodded. "Good. We'll speak tonight."

* * *

Artemis was nervous when the call came for a council meeting came not two hours after she left Hestia. _'It can't be later than 3:00 a.m., but I understand why this can't wait. I only hope the other members of the council are as agreeable.'_ Grabbing her symbol of power, she flashed into the throne room. Appearing beyond the doors, she walked through, noting she was one of the last ones to arrive. Taking a measuring glance around, she settled in her throne. Before she was seated, Zeus had begun talking. "This meeting was called by Poseidon, as he claims there is an emergency." Without waiting for his younger brother, Poseidon rose. His voice was not as loud as Zeus, but held the same amount of authority, if not more. "I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Not 5 hours ago, a mortal went into labor here in New York City. I was the father." He paused, as the room erupted into sound. Shouting filled the air, but was silenced by a thunderclap. Zeus had turned to look at Poseidon, something besides anger in his eyes as he asked, "Would you mind explaining further why this is an emergency?" Hera's eyes had narrowed, which Artemis caught. _'Hera mad at Zeus, not unusual, but that was a little much for just shrugging off infidelity.'_ Poseidon was slightly confused at Zeus' manner, but seized a chance to elaborate. "When she went into labor, Hestia was also at the location at my request. I felt it best to spare no protection. Hades had his minions guarding the hospital as well, but trouble found us nonetheless." Poseidon waved his hand towards the far end of the room where mist formed, and an image of Sally holding her remaining child was displayed. "The attackers were interrupted before they could finish the job, but in the end, they partially succeeded." His gaze darkened as he recalled memories of the event, of holding Perseus for only an instant.

Apollo piped up, curious. "Would you like me to examine the child? Was he harmed?" Poseidon spared a sad glance in his direction. "No. Theseus is fine. He was unharmed in the attack. However, his elder twin has been stolen." At the word twin, every god paled. "Perseus was only an hour and a half old when they arrived. They didn't enter the hospital, but rather came out of a janitor's closet. We don't know for sure all the details. I'll spare you the details of the ensuing chase, and show you our prisoner. I'm going to bring in Sally and Theseus, but know this. They are under mine, Hades' and Hestia's protection." He closed his eyes momentarily, followed by a wave of darkness forming near the door. Out stepped Hades, followed by Hestia who had an arm around a clearly nervous Sally. Hades summoned thrones for both Hestia and himself, corresponding to their mortal size. A comfortable armchair for Sally formed between them, which the nervous mother slowly reclined into, her nervous expression softening considerably. Zeus eyed the three warily, not liking the united front shown by his three siblings. Poseidon smiled at his siblings and Sally, and then nodded to Hades. The god of the underworld waved his hand, and a cage of stygian iron appeared in the center of the room, containing a stoic 59. His gaze turning to focus on Apollo, Poseidon addressed the council. "I would like to ask him some questions, if Apollo wouldn't mind verifying his answers. There was no dissent. Receiving a nod from the sun god, Poseidon began. "Are your memories outside of this mission actually hidden?" 59 answered, "Yes." Apollo nodded. "Have all the members of your squad returned to base?" 59 answered, "Yes." Apollo shook his head.

Poseidon was surrounded by a sea green light as 59 cringed, knowing the jig was up. Before the sea god could question him further, Hades stopped him. "I'll call Mnemosyne, we can find out the information that way. There's no sense in beating him to death." Hades closed his eyes, an action followed closely by shadows coalescing next to the cage. Out strode the memory goddess, information on the situation having already been supplied by Hades. With no hesitation, she grabbed 59's temple. 59's face contorted as he tried to defend his mind, but he was not match for the goddess. "His remaining squad member is to meet him at a restaurant in the city around three hours from now. He has orders to lay low if this one fails to show up." 59's head fell at that. Athena's face turned thoughtful at the information, a plan already taking root in her mind. She turned to Artemis when she spoke. "How many hunters do you have that can go unnoticed in a crowd? I know around half are from centuries before this age." Artemis paused, taking mental inventory of her girls. "Around 12, give or take two. More than enough to secure a restaurant." Athena nodded. After a short pause, she addressed the council. "I believe it would be best to capture the remaining member, he may have information this one was not privy to. With the hunters dispersed in the restaurant and the surrounding area, we should have no problem apprehending him." Her plan was met with unanimous approval.

* * *

38's wedges clicked softly on the tile floor of the nursery. _'After that spectacle earlier, I dread to return, but I MUST find out the specifics of the operation before the meeting. If moving this child to the Alaskan base is going to be a prolonged operation, I'll have no choice but to fill the empty spots in my best squad.'_ As she passed the now repaired nursery, she noted a lack of any infants. _'He must be further in then. Gods above help the child.'_ Metal doors swung open upon her approach, manned by armed security guards, assault rifles held against their torsos. She gave a nod as she passed them, and rested her eyes on the second set of doors. With no windows, and a keypad adjoined to a hand print scanner as well as a key card slot, they were intimidating in the least. Punching in her unique pass code, she whipped out a keycard and slotting it with one smooth motion. A chime sounded above her as the doors swung outward. Sterile white walls surrounded her, with workers in lab coats moving to and fro. 38 paid them no mind as she approached Dr. Gress, who seemed to have been waiting for her, standing at the very back of the room. His smile, as always, sent a chill down her spine.

"38 my dear, how good to see you again. If you'll follow me?" without waiting for a response, he turned into the singular door at his back, his hand gliding over the scanner. His gait was measured, and his shoulders squared as he moved forward. "When we first got our hands on young Perseus, our research and development squad tested his powers using an empty vessel. We checked the results 3 times, with two sets of equipment. He has two major affinities. His powers over storms and earthquakes are too intense for us to get a precise reading on, but suffice it to say his powers dwarf those of past demigods we've seen by miles. And those readings were of the other demigod's powers at maturity, while his are in infancy. He's a monster of a demigod. But his powers were a problem, you see, we had planned to give him an ichor cocktail with Oceanus' essence, giving his powers over water a tremendous boost. Due to his affinity for the more destructive domains, his water powers are nigh on nonexistent. Sure, he still had an affinity, but it paled in comparison." He paused as he reached for a second scanner, this one linked to the last door on the left, right next to his office, which was in the furthest reaches of the lab. A chime sounded, and they passed through. What greeted her was a strange site. Prometheus stood over a cradle, with two nurses on the far wall. _'The same two that injected him with that silver concoction, if memory serves.'_ Dr. Gress moved to stand next to the Titan, looking down into the crib as well. His smile, however, was gone, replaced by a curious expression. That soon turned to glee at viewing the infant 38 presumed to be in the cradle.

Approaching the cradle, 38 peered inside slowly, a pit of dread forming in her stomach. Her eyes found Perseus, laying on his side, swaddled up in a green blanket. _'Well, he seems normal. On the outside at the least.'_ Her examination stopped as Prometheus reached his hand down into the crib, hoisting Perseus into his arms. He turned to face 38, his face expressionless. "I was always furious that I had only been able to give you mortals a meagre intelligence before I was punished for my 'crime.' I had such high hopes for your race, and you met most of them, believe it or not. Amazing, nothing less. The flexibility, the shear resilience humans display! My pride and joy. I am content in your progress, because I know you will grow even further." He was facing 38 directly now, with Perseus resting quietly. He reached up, undoing the blanket, causing the infant to fidget slightly, but failing to wake him. _'I would hope he's tired, after using more power than even some of the higher ups could use.'_ 38 was not immune to the infant's charm, his already thick black hair tousled brought a smile to her face. Until she saw his chest. An archaic looking mark took up a portion of his left pectoral. 38 couldn't form words, the mark baffling her.

Prometheus's voice startled her. "What he received was infinitely more potent than anything we've ever injected before. Even the elites of our organization, the super soldiers a step above the rest, received augmentations which pale in comparison to his. Lord Tartarus himself gave it to me. The silver ichor of a primordial, concentrated with essence. It came in a custom bottle, for it burned through any metal outside of the metal Tartarus gave us. It has no name that we know of, but it matters not. Perseus received the concentrated ichor and essence of the strongest water deity to have ever existed." 38 felt nothing but horror at the mention of primordial beings. Prometheus himself gave every batch of recruits a detailed explanation on the nature of the mythological world, from the existence of other pantheons to the Greek/Roman split. Primordial beings were covered as well, from those akin with normal deities like Nyx, Gaea, and Tartarus, to the ones that could only be classified as monsters. Pontus was described as being a creature resembling a gargantuan squid, with around 50 eyes and three mouths. Prometheus had only given brief descriptions of each being, but described them collectively as nightmares.

Her voice was unsteady when she spoke. "What on earth will he look like down the road, some squid hybrid? What of his mind, the consequences of thi-," Prometheus's chuckling cut her off. "Pontus? A reasonable assumption, he is considered by many to be the supreme water deity. But Tartarus is a primordial, and he knows infinitely more than I. I asked a similar question of him, but he offered something else instead, something better than the master of the seas. The sea herself. What Perseus contains is not the essence of Pontus, but the essence of Thalassa. The very personification of the seas. Perseus's twin represents the greatest unknown variable, with his powers almost certainly focusing on water control, this will set Perseus on the same level, if not one higher. He will be a _true_ son of the sea." Almost as if hearing the titan, Perseus opened his eyes. 38 gasped at the now changed eyes, the vertical slit shape his iris took now sending a chill down her spine.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey again, I heard you guys like updates? I know I said longer chapters and slower updates, but I busted this out, and it leaves me with enough material to make a long chapter to end the prologue. That said, chapter 5 is going to wrap up the prologue. Chapter 6 will have a few timeskips to show progression and introduce everybody you'll need to know. Chapter 7 will really kick it off! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Edit- This is a re-upload with a major change to the latter half of the chapter, since I've decided to make the piece of plot I removed a story on its own, and not jumble the plot of this story to high hell. Forgive me, friends. Anyway, minor plot tweaks and corrections, all in the latter half of the chapter. R &R**

Chapter 4

Artemis checked the edge on her hunting knives for the third time that hour. With the council's unanimous decision in favor of setting a trap, they wasted no time, the hunt digging in around the 24 hour establishment. She cast her gaze inside from the rooftop across the street. _'That's Zoe's third cup of coffee. I'll have to ask if it was that good, or if she was that tired.'_ Moving her eyes to check on all the stationed hunters, she was satisfied with their disguises. _'I don't like that I only have three girls with bows, not counting myself. But if he's a clear-sighted mortal as they say, the girls will have to make do with throwing knives if this goes to shit.'_ Artemis had been given 20 minutes to prep the hunt for this mission, and not nearly enough sedative to coat a quiver for each archer. Artemis had picked the best marksmen, giving them 4 arrows each, with herself having 3. She wasn't given the specifics, but was told that their target was no ordinary mortal, and would need heavy tranquilizers to take down. _'These are my next best tranqs. The top tier would kill any mortal or lesser demigod, and I know that Poseidon would be furious if he died before he was questioned. Can't forget to check for a fake tooth either.'_

The cook had been convinced with the mist that they were law enforcement in pursuit of a kidnapping suspect. He had been given some sedative as well, and instructed to wait for a signal from Zoe to administer it to the target. _'I'll make it an imperative that Zoe learn modern English after thismission. I hate having to keep my lieutenant silent out of fear of throwing the mission.'_ She checked her watch, knowing it was close to starting. Her watch was something Hephaestus had made at her request. Since an analog watch had little electrical wiring, it worked fine even in an environment saturated with divine power. _'5:45? Not much longer now. He's supposed to show at 6:00, but he most likely will have eyes on the restaurant before then. All we can do is wait.'_

14 minutes passed by at a snail's pace, before a man appeared down the street, going against the foot traffic to reach the restaurant. Her mind shifting to a combat mindset, she readied her bow and took aim. _'Inconspicuous indeed. Brown hair, brown eyes, and around 5'5"? You couldn't get a more common look if you tried.'_ The man she presumed to be her quarry walked inside the restaurant. The huntress next to a window looked up to catch her gaze, to which Artemis responded in the affirmative. The huntress didn't give an acknowledgment, instead standing to walk to the restroom, tapping Zoe's back on the way. The goddess of the hunt gave a last check to her marksmen. All had an arrow knocked, with one watching the front with her, as the other two kept their arrows trained on the back door from above the alley. Artemis reached out to establish a mental link with her lieutenant, in preparation of things going south. _'Zoe, is everything ready? We have the entrances watched, and the two hunters on the ground outside will be moving to hold the doors shut in a moment.'_ Her lieutenant never showed an outward sign of the mental talk, nodding along to another huntress's decoy conversation. _'Affirmative, my lady. The mortal has placed an order for coffee, which is rather divine if I say so myself. Shall I move to incapacitate the man?'_

Artemis reacted with millennia of experience, knowing to trust her instincts in a situation like this. _'No need Zoe, but I sense Hermes' power nearby. Either it's a strong demigod far away from camp, or he's here personally. I'll just wrap it up myself.'_ As the target reached for his coffee, Artemis set a compressed burst of power to her right hand, holding the string to give her arrow some real kinetic power. Release. The arrow punched through the glass over an empty booth, flying straight at the man's midsection. What happened next stunned the goddess. The man had never tensed until the window broke, throwing his weight to the side, mostly avoiding her shot, but not completely. Her arrow struck the bar with godly force, splintering the wood with a loud crash. _'His jacket is torn, blood running onto his pants. Must have nicked him then. How in Tartarus's name did he react that fast? That's on par with some of Hermes's strongest children, but this man is supposed to be mortal!'_ She shook her head as she jumped over the edge of the building.

She grabbed onto the fire escape, using a bar to swing her back to the wall beneath, which she used as a spring board to cross most of the street, landing with a roll next to the diner entrance. She had given the marksmen orders to stay in their respective vantage points, in case something went wrong, while she went to take down the man in case her initial shot missed. _'No mercy now. He's fast enough to dodge an arrow above mortal speed, so he must be above normal standards himself.'_ She arrived inside to a standoff. The man was ready to spring into action, his knees bent, if unsteady. _'The sedative got him then. Not enough to knock him out, however. That's what happens when the arrow doesn't lodge though.'_ Her hunters were gathered around, throwing and hunting knives in hand. She saw the man's head turn slightly, his eyes widening at her appearance. She cursed when she saw his jaw rotate slightly, and then open his mouth. _'The tooth!'_

She was beat to the punch however, when an arrow whizzed by her head, striking the man right in the temple. She was close behind, prying his mouth open before he could recover, sticking her knife inside his mouth to ensure he didn't close it on her hand. _'Too damn close.'_ The tooth had almost went down his throat, but Artemis's deft hands had snatched it at the last second. Retrieving her knife and knocking the man out for good measure, she cast a glance to the huntress outside, then to the arrow capped with a hard rubber head. _'Precise as always, Claire.'_ The Huntress caught her gaze, nodded, and began to climb down to join the group. The goddess of the hunt was proud of her girls, another successful hunt under their belts. Her thoughts drifted to the other two marksmen, however, as it had been a few minutes since the fighting had stopped and she still didn't see them coming through the back door. _'I've got a bad feeling about this, this whole situation doesn't sit right with me. Mortals with reflexes on par with an experienced demigod? That's…unnatural.'_ She coughed, gaining the attention of her hunt present. "Well-done, girls. Now, Zoe and Claire will be sent along with the captured male to Olympus for his questioning. The rest of you besides Ariel and Stephanie will return to camp. Phoebe, you're in charge until either Zoe or I return. Clear?" A resounding "Yes ma'am!" met her ears. Satisfied, she motioned for her other two hunters to stay close behind. She quickly informed Apollo of their success and flashed the man along with Zoe and the now present Ariel to Olympus.

Taking a last glance around, she turned to the back door, her bow in hand. The knob turned smoothly, the door swinging out to the dark alley behind the restaurant. She cast her gaze up to the fire escape where the first marksman should have been. _'No sign of her. Probably already on the ground then. What about Candace?'_ She turned her head to the intersection of the alley, seeing a bit of silver behind a dumpster. Moving quickly, she turned the corner, finding a sight unwelcome to her eyes. There lay both the missing huntresses, a pool of red underneath them. Marie, a hunter who had been with her since the French revolution, had a red gash across her throat, while Candace had a gaping hole in her midsection. Frantically, she checked for Candace for a pulse. _'Barely alive, but she's alive.'_ Tears coming to her eyes, she pumped a wave of energy into the unconscious huntress, the wound closing slightly, and a little color returning to her face. Wasting no time, she gathered her girls around her and flashed them to Olympus, hoping that Apollo could save her. Knowing the survival of the wounded hunters was out of her hands, Artemis let her bow disappear and summoned her knives, a white knuckle grip the only sign of her fury. _'Level head, Artemis. They didn't have their quivers or bows, and only Marie had her knives. Marie must have been attacked from behind, but Candace had a chance to fight back. That makes no sense though, Marie's body looked like she had her throat slit, how did that happen? High ground with almost no blind spot, but attacked with a melee weapon?'_

Her rage momentarily subsiding at the situation, she made her way to the pavement under the fire escape where Marie had been positioned. Artemis gave the ground around her a scrutinizing gaze. A glint of red caught her eye, by the sidewalk at the end of the alley. She moved over, instantly recognizing the substance. _'Blood, and lots of it. A large wound or major artery, I'd wager.'_ She knelt over the blood, something about it not seeming quite right. Tiny specks of gold were in the puddle, dispersed throughout the puddle. _'I know exactly what that is, but why are there bits of ichor in mortal blood? Demigods' small amount of ichor is scattered thin, too thin to stand out like these clumps. Better take a sample.'_ She summoned a small vial she kept for monster blood, and used her knife to scrape some of the liquid into a vial which she capped. She gathered two more vials before she stood to examine the scene again. The large puddle had long smudge marks on one edge, as if the wounded individual had been lifted and dragged away before being picked up completely. _'The way Candace was positioned, she appeared to have been standing over Marie when she collapsed.'_ She turned the corner, and quickly shrunk back around it, the flashing blue and red lights down the street giving her pause.

Assuming her normal routine when dealing with mortals, she aged herself to appear in her mid-twenties, her hunter tunic and leggings shifting to a top with a leather jacket along with well-worn jeans. Her hunting boots remained. _'I have to give it to mortals, they know their clothing.'_ She made her way toward the commotion, making a conscious effort to slow her stride to a more casual pace, knowing her long strides would draw attention. As she neared the scene, she noted an ambulance leaving the scene, with another being loaded. _'All black clothing, and those are sheaths on his back and chest. The assailants.'_ She made her way back to the alley, having enough information now. _'I'll flash to my chariot, then I can tail the ambulances._ ' Not bothering to change her form back, she reached the alley and flashed out, appearing in her chariot. She didn't have long to wait before the ambulances arrived at a hospital. _'This is nothing short of irony, being treated at the same hospital that was attacked.'_ Artemis flashed to Olympus, aiming for Apollo's temple. She cast a mental thought out to Hermes. _'Do you have time to grab two mortals and their possessions? They attacked my hunters, and I'm positive they're linked to Poseidon's missing son.'_ At his mental nod, she sent an image of the hospital along with the one man she had seen, before the connection vanished.

She strode through Apollo's temple, making her way to the healing facility located in the Wes wing. Upon entering, she was greeted with the sight of Apollo tending to an unconscious Marie while Candace nursed a glass of nectar in a bed nearby. Upon seeing her mistress, Candace made to get up, but was quickly waved down by Artemis. Making her way to her side, Candace spoke in a low voice, but one laced with urgency. "Lady Artemis, I stashed our weapons away further down the alley, but I was only able to get off three arrows before one of them rushed me, even with an arrow in his ribcage. He pulled out a short blade, and he moved almost too fast for me to track, it was in my side and out before I could react! He didn't finish me off though, and Marie was down on the ground by then. I saw him run by her, his blade out and at throat height. She reacted much better than I did. She threw her head back, the blade scraping her throat but not cutting too deep. She hit her head on the wall though, and went down hard. I made my way over as the first attacker drug the other one away, and I put her behind the dumpster before I went unconscious. Lord Apollo said she would be fine, but the wound on her head would need some natural rest." Artemis let out a large breath at the news, reaching her hand out to grab the shoulder of her huntress. Her voice was soft as she pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I'm just glad you girls are okay."

 _ **Cloudburst**_

With those slitted emerald eyes now burned into her memory, 38 had a hard time taking a nap. _'I REALLY needed a nap before this meeting.'_ She cast a glance at the clock which sat on her nightstand. _'6:30. That means 59 and 82 have made contact, if everything is according to plan. I doubt it's going good, however. From the report, 59 stayed behind to throw the pursuers off, he's no doubt dead or captured. If they somehow managed to get information out of him, then 82's a goner as well. DAMN it.'_ She sat on the edge of her bed as she rubbed her temples, _'Everything about this operation went to shit. Fast.'_ Her phone went off, which she opened quickly. _Operation is changing course. Meet in briefing room in 10, high priority._ The message dropped a stone in her stomach. Nonetheless, she ran a hand through her hair, quickly donning a jacket and beret before opening her door and moving down the hall. _'The original goal of this was simply a snatch and grab. I still have the briefing papers to prove it. There wasn't supposed to be this much heat, nor an on-site augmentation. There's something going on behind the scenes that I don't like.'_

She reached the meeting room in no time at all, and was greeted with the site of Prometheus standing at the front of the room, standing next to another individual she didn't recognize. 112 sat at the long table, looking as tired as she felt, but awake and aware. Taking a seat across from her, 38 trained her stare on Prometheus. His expression was cloudy, at best. When he spoke, his voice was like gravel. "This will be your final mission, 38 and 112." _'What? I still have around 7 years left on my contract!'_ Judging from 112's expression, her thoughts were on the same topic. "Our organization supports any and all actions that seek to go against the Olympian gods, from demigod revolts to assassination attempts. However, the titan lord Kronos is on the rise. Our patron, Lord Tartarus, has made it clear he intends to make no effort to support him when he goes against Olympus. That said, Tartarus is shutting down this organization. He has a message for you two. He will give you your final briefing, and when you leave for your mission, your respective accounts will receive full pay. You have served with outstanding distinction. You will be missed." Prometheus would never cry, not for a soldier, but his expression was honest, and his expression was too neutral not to be forced. _'I knew he cared.'_ Ignoring the stinging in her eyes, 38 stood with 112 to salute Prometheus as he strode out the door.

Once the door closed, 38 turned her eyes to the individual standing at the front of the room. The figure was nondescript, a black cloak hiding all features except for height. A gloved hand reached inside the cloak, bringing out a black crystal in the shape of a pyramid. The crystal was dormant as the cloaked person stepped away, and once they ceased movement, it grew a violent purple aura. A harsh light shone from the center, and a deep voice, grating like gravel spoke from within. "You mortals call me Tartarus. I understand you were the ones to capture the child?" 38 felt the power in the voice rattle her bones, but knew this would be the worst possible moment of her life to let fear show. "Yes, my lord." The purple light moved with his words. "Good work, escaping the clutches of three Olympians is no small task. You have done well. In light of your coming mission, I am giving you a chance to get out of this organization. Prometheus means to recruit as many as he can for the puny titan lord, but I will advise you two as you show promise. Things have been put into motion that will make the coming conflict much worse than the last time it occured, Ananke has said that. Therefore, a plan was devised at her behest." The crystal paused, and the lights of the room seemed to dim, the only light coming from the crystal.

"I coalesced some of my aura into this piece of obsidian, but it won't hold for much longer. The boy you stole needs to be delivered to a specific location. For Ananke's plan, certain tools of a caliber beyond the norm were needed. A son of the sea with such power was too great an opportunity to miss. Now that Thalassa's essence runs through him, he may undergo changes, but we do not know for certain. Our council plans to watch his progress, as he is the first to have received primordial ichor in this manner. Either way, the boy is essentially a prototype. We were of a mind to inform the Olympians of our plans for the boy, but decided an alternate method may prove useful." The triangular rock dimmed momentarily, before a tendril shot out to a corner of the room, sparks flying like fireworks. "The titans can know of much without being able to harm our plans, but this next piece is tantamount when it comes to secrecy. You WILL swear an oath." After a short pause to absorb the startling information, as well as the fact the meeting had been spied upon, they both swore. "I'll keep the information we learned in this room to myself, until given permission to say otherwise." The usual oath their organization required seemed to please to lord of the pit.

When he spoke again, his voice was low and dead serious. "Your last job under this organization's payroll will be to deliver the child to Thalassa herself. She has awakened, and awaits the infant. My servant will give you access to a portal, from this location to a drop zone 1 mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Be aware, anyone besides you two who goes on this mission will most likely have orders from the titan to interfere, most likely aiming to maintain possession of the child. I would put you closer to the beach, but any closer and the power of the portal and that of Thalassa would mix and surely alert unwanted company. Once the portal is opened, you move straight to the beach. Don't stop, don't look back, and don't drop the boy. Thalassa had one particular piece of information you were to be told. Ahem, 'squids are friendly,' whatever use it may be to you." The crystal began to dim slightly, the light flickering. "The portal will close immediately after the boy goes through, so a good plan might be to rush the portal ahead of anyone else once it opens."

"The portal will drop you one mile from beach, like I said. You are to rush as fast as possible for the glowing spot in the sea, and one way or another, put Perseus in it. Thalassa has assured me she will do the rest. Are we clear?" _'Who knew the pit was so long winded? Holy shit.'_ "Yes sir, we'll get it done." 112 didn't respond, lost in her own thoughts on the matter. The crystal gave no response, the light dimming into nothing as the cloaked individual picked up and placed it once again within the cloak. A distinctively feminine voice spoke from within. "You have the day to prepare. The portal will open just before midnight. I suggest being ready in this briefing room to depart at 2330, that will give you ten minutes to calm your nerves." With that said, the cloaked individual stepped back into the shadows at the front of the room, after which the lights came back on. She was nowhere to be seen.

 **AN: As you can tell, it was a substantial change. I felt like I was overdoing it, and didn't want to bog down the story. Tell me what you think! Please leave a review if you don't mind, I love to read them.**


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